Belize Central Prison is the sole correctional facility in the country of

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

, located in

Hattieville Hattieville is a village in the Belize District of the nation of Belize. It is located at 17N 88W, at an elevation of above mean sea level, and has a population of about 1,300 people. Hattieville was established as a refugee camp after Hurricane ...

. The Kolbe Foundation, a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, non-governmental organization, has managed the prison since 2002.Life behind bars at Belize Central Prison

Archive
. News 5 Belize. August 12, 2008. Retrieved on Wednesday April 11, 2012. It was formerly known as the Hattieville Prison. Its local nickname is the ‘Hattieville

Ramada Ramada is a large American multinational hotel chain owned by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. As of December 31, 2018, it operates 811 hotels with 114,614 rooms across 63 countries under the Ramada brand. Name The ''Ramada'' name derives from t ...

’. Officials established it as a replacement for a century-old prison that closed and later became the Belize Museum. The prison houses men and women, and it houses adults and adjudicated youths.Belize Central Prison Location
(). Kolbe Foundation. August 20, 2008. Retrieved on April 11, 2012. As of August 12, 2008, the prison had 1,371 prisoners. In June 2017, the total population was 1,297, including pre-trial detainees (30.1%). Belize's incarceration rate is relatively high at 356/100,000. The incarceration rate for females has risen from 8.4 (per 100,000 of national population) in 2000 to 12.6 in 2017. In 2013, researchers from the

University of Indianapolis The University of Indianapolis (UIndy) is a private United Methodist Church-affiliated university in Indianapolis, Indiana. It offers Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees. It was founded in 1902 as Indiana Central University and ...

began a project recording the oral histories of staff and inmates at Belize Central Prison to document the historic shift in management from the state to the Kolbe Foundation. To date, the project has collected interviews with 36 staff and 24 female inmates. Initial findings from staff interviews suggest very much improved conditions, a shift in focus from punishment to rehabilitation, and a willingness to hire former offenders and even inmates of the prison. Lower levels of self-reported social distance between staff and inmates seems to be an important factor driving the increased focus on rehabilitation at the prison.

Location, geography, and facilities

The prison is on a plot of land at Mile 2 of Burrell Boom Road. The prison uses of this land, with much of the acreage being used for farming and other activities. The main prison territory, located on of land, is surrounded by a fence with a circumference of . The nearest major highway, Western Highway, is away from the prison. There is no public transportation between the Western Highway and the prison. Area taxi drivers do transport people to the prison for a fee. The Kolbe Foundation said "Quite a few people do the two mile walk and find it surprisingly enjoyable." The prison is from

Burrell Boom Burrell Boom is on the Belize River twenty miles above Belize City, Belize. Tourists pass through this historic village on their way to the Community Baboon Sanctuary, where the population of black howler monkeys has grown to over 2,000. Histor ...

and from

Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, wh ...

Facilities

*Addiction Rehabilitation Center (ARC)Rules & Regulations
." Kolbe Foundation. Retrieved on April 11, 2012. *Wagner's Youth Facility (WYF)

References

External links

* Th
Kolbe Foundation
{{Coord, 17.4788, N, 88.4062, W, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:BZ, display=title Prisons in Belize